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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Entertaining and Educating your Toddler
My 14-month-old wants to play with pens and pencils. Is it safe to let my 14-month-old have pencils to draw with? My husband gave her one and now she screams every time she sees either of us using a pen. She still puts lots of things in her mouth, so what would be the best thing to give her? Now that your toddler has discovered how to make marks on paper, she will enjoy drawing sessions. Sit with her at a table and provide a large sheet of paper. This can be taped to the table to keep the scribbles on the paper and also prevent frustration if it moves.…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Entertaining and Educating your Toddler
We want our son to grow up to be bilingual. We wish our son to grow up to be bilingual. He is now 15 months and beginning to speak. My husband is Italian but also speaks excellent English. From Louis’ birth, we have each tried to speak our own language to him, but as my husband is away from home all day, often not returning until late, Louis hears far more English than Italian. Will this affect his learning of two languages? We visit Italy once or twice a year and my aim is for Louis to be able to communicate easily with his grandparents, who speak no English. Growing…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Entertaining and Educating your Toddler
It is hard to get my son interested in books. I am aware of how important it is to read books to my son Sam, who is 16mths. The problem is that, after the first page or two, he shows no interest, wriggles off my lap and starts to play with something else. We have plenty of board books around, but I rarely see him pick one up. I would love books to be part of our day, but am I expecting too much too soon? Sharing books with small children is a habit to be encouraged, but all too often toddlers will have different ideas. Learning that books are…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Tantrums
Can the terrible twos begin early? My 16mth old son has begun to have tantrums already. Can the “terrible twos” begin early? My 16-month-old son was very easy as a baby, but he seems to have changed overnight. There are times when I have to say “no” to him, as he wants to get into everything or climb on things that will fall over. He reacts by throwing a tantrum and seems completely out of control. What is the best way to deal with this behaviour? I feel as though I have to watch him constantly, whereas a few months ago he was content to sit and play on his…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Tantrums
Over the past few weeks my 15-month-old daughter has had several tantrums while we are out shopping. I find it so embarrassing to have her kicking and screaming and feel that everyone is looking at me. I have tried to calm her down, but this makes things worse, and it is often not clear what has set her off in the first place. What is the best way to deal with this behaviour? Tantrums are a normal part of early childhood and most bystanders will be sympathetic despite their stares. Trying to reason with your daughter at this age will just prolong the kicking and screaming, as she will not…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Behaviour
My 17 month-old has started biting other children when at nursery but not at home. I have a 17 month old little girl, who attends a very good nursery 3 days a week. She is extremely happy there and likes the interaction she has with the other children. However, over the last 3 months she has started to bite the other children at random. Sometimes in retaliation, but most of the time she bites them for no reason. I am beginning to worry, as this is now happening once or twice a day when she attends, and some of the other parents aren’t happy. The nursery is dealing with her…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Behaviour
My 14-month-old son loves to be very noisy. My 14-month-old son constantly bangs everything together. I try to keep items, such as spoons, out of reach, but he will use anything he finds. He will hammer on tables, doors and even the TV screen. I have tried buying him a toy drum, but he is not interested; I don’t think it makes enough noise. I am at my wits end. How can I stop this behaviour? Making noise is very typical at this age, especially if it gets a reaction from you. It is hard to ignore banging, particularly during a family meal or while you are on the phone,…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Behaviour
How can I stop my 17-month-old from biting? At almost 17 months, my son has taken to biting my nanny and I when he doesn’t get his own way. He has been on CLB routines since birth. He sleeps well, loves being in his cot and on the whole is a happy toddler. But when he doesn’t want to be changed (especially after his bath) or is told “No”, he bites. I have told him sternly that we don’t bite, but this behaviour has continued for a month. Tonight I lost my patience and yelled at him, a response that I feel guilty about, but how can I deal with…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Behaviour
How do I stop my 1-year-old wriggling and protesting at nappy changes? I wondered if you could give me some tips on how to combat my constant struggle to dress or change my 12-month-old. I’ve never seen anything like it! Every time I change his nappy he struggles and screams and will not keep still, which can get very messy when I’m trying to change a dirty one. I’ve tried saying “No” very sternly but he doesn’t take any notice at all. Have you come across this before? It basically happens whenever I try to do something my son doesn’t want to do: i.e. dress him, put him in car…
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Development FAQ: 12-18 months – Behaviour
My son of 16mths is aggressive with other children both at home and nursery. My son is consistently aggressive with other children at nursery and at home. He is a lively and boisterous boy, often starts off playing well but then starts to be aggressive, seeking others to pull over by the scruff of the neck or pull hair, or bite. We distract him but he goes straight back to it. We have just started (when at home) removing him from the room and putting him into his cot for a minute but I don’t know if this is beneficial or potentially damaging. How you deal with your son’s behaviour…